Acute and a 28-day repeated-dose toxicity study of total flavonoids from Clinopodium chinense (Benth.) O. Ktze in mice and rats.

Clinopodium chinense (Benth.) O. Ktze (Labiatae), known as 'Duanxueliu' in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, has been widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of hemorrhagic disease. Total flavonoids from Clinopodium chinense (Benth.) O. Ktze (TFCC), the most active ingredient, possess a variety of properties, such as antioxygenation. Until now, evidence-based toxicity data on TFCC has been limited. This study evaluated the acute (in mice and rat) and the 28-day repeated-dose (in rat) toxicity study of TFCC, respectively. In acute study, oral administration of TFCC to rats and mice did not induce toxicity or mortality up to the maximum doses of 4000 and 5000 mg/kg, respectively. In subacute toxicity study, we administered TFCC at daily doses of 70, 210, and 630 mg/kg for 4 consecutive weeks to rats via gavage. We observed no changes in food consumption, water intake, body weight, chemistry and hematological parameters, organ weight, gross pathology or histopathology. No animals from any group died. These findings indicate that TFCC is relatively nontoxic, and provide practical guidance for selecting a safe dose for further investigation of TFCC in animal studies or clinical trials.

Genotoxicity testing of sodium formononetin-3'-sulphonate (Sul-F) by assessing bacterial reverse mutation, chromosomal aberrations and micronucleus tests.

As part of a safety evaluation, we evaluated the potential genotoxicity of sodium formononetin-3'-sulphonate (Sul-F) using bacterial reverse mutation assay, chromosomal aberrations detection, and mouse micronucleus test. In bacterial reverse mutation assay using five strains of Salmonella typhimurium (TA97, TA98, TA100, TA102 and TA1535), Sul-F (250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 µg/plate) did not increase the number of revertant colonies in any tester strain with or without S9 mix. In a chromosomal assay using Chinese hamster lung fibroblast (CHL) cells, there were no increases in either kind of aberration at any dose of Sul-F (400, 800, and 1600 µg/mL) treatment groups with or without S9 metabolic activation. In an in vivo bone marrow micronucleus test in ICR mice, Sul-F at up to 2000 mg/kg (intravenous injection) showed no significant increases in the incidence of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes, and the proportion of immature erythrocytes to total erythrocytes. The results demonstrated that Sul-F does not show mutagenic or genotoxic potential under these test conditions.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the greater Coucal, Centropus sinensis (Aves: Cuculiformes).

The complete mitochondrial genome of Centropus sinensis is determined in this study. The circle genome with the 17 159 bp total length contained 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 1 control region. Phylogenetic tree shows that C. sinensis was sister to C. unirufus. The mitogenome of C. sinensis will contribute to researches of mitogenomic evolution, phylogenetic relationship, and conservation genetics.

Complete mitochondrial genome and the phylogenetic position of Halcyon smyrnensis (Aves: Coraciiformes).

The complete mitochondrial genome of Halcyon smyrnensis was determined in this study. The mitogenomic length of Halcyon smyrnensis was 17 318 bp, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes and one control region. Phylogenetic analyses show that H. leucocephala, H. pileata and H. smyrnensis congregated together, and our sample was sister to H. pileata.

Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous ceria with hierarchical nanoarchitecture controlled by amino acids.

In this work, we report the synthesis and characterization of mesoporous ceria with hierarchical nanoarchitectures controlled by amino acids. During the synthesis procedure, cerium oxalate precipitate was treated hydrothermally with different amino acids as crystallization modifiers, and hierarchically structured cerium oxalate precursors were obtained. Ceria can be produced after thermal decomposition of the cerium oxalate precursors. Structure and properties of the product were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, N2 adsorption analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) methods. The results indicate that the mesoporous ceria with hierarchical nanoarchitectures are composed of nanosized ceria crystallites as building units and possess high surface area and high concentration of oxygen vacancy. Depending on different amino acids as the crystallization modifiers, the ceria exhibit different morphologies, such as dendritic aggregation of rods, dumbbells of nanorod arrays, or aggregated spheres. It is proposed that both the type of functional side groups and the length of the side groups of the amino acids influence the morphologies of the ceria. Meanwhile, the solvent and hydrothermal treatment temperatures also play important roles in the morphological control. The method reported in this work would be regarded as a general way to fabricate mesoporous metal oxides with hierarchical nanoarchitectures.

Magnetic anisotropy of the radula of chiton Acanthochiton rubrolinestus LISCHKE.

The magnetic anisotropy of the whole radula, the major lateral radula teeth, and magnetic material in the major lateral radula teeth of the chiton Acanthochiton rubrolinestus LISCHKE have been studied by a magnetic torque meter and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. The length and width axes of the teeth are the easily magnetized axes, while the thickness axis is difficult to magnetize. The width and thickness axes of the radula are the easily magnetized axes, and the length axis is difficult to magnetize. The measurement results of the whole radula and the major lateral radula teeth agree well with each other. The magnetic anisotropy of the magnetic material is given as well as a possible distribution of the magnetic material in the major lateral radula teeth.